Shuttle 9.0 vs LM3

[Musicman20]

Ive gone round the houses on this one.

I realise the tones ARE different.

Volume wise, is the 9.0 that much louder?

[rodneyat]

I can't speak to the loudness of the LMIII specifically. But can to the LMII and the F1. The perceived volume is louder but is it a "ton" louder. Probably not. I can say this. The LMII and F1 both seem to start breaking up at about 75% or so on the volume knob. The Shuttle remains stable pretty much up to max. In the end it is not hugely louder though. They are both great amps and will work in most situations. If you like the tone of one or the other. Go with that one

[silky smoove]

Its going to depend largely on what cabinet(s) you're powering. If your cabinets aren't capable of handling any more than the LM3 can throw at them, the additional headroom of the 9.0 might not be an advantage.

There is some debate about whether or not having lots of power on tap, even when not using it will give you a different tone or feel.

[Bmorefoozler]

It would make the most difference with an 8 ohm cab capable of handling lots of wattage.

[JxBass]

I have a Shuttle 9 and LMII. With tweaking, I can get the S9 very close in tone to my LMII settings. The LMII sounds a bit fuller and smoother to my ears, but the clarity of the S9 may be better in cutting through the mix in some situations. You can't go wrong with either IMO.

[bugbass]

Compared to the LMII, the 9.0 has more headroom. The lowend just feels much more solid, more "bass" Both are very good, I prefer the 9.0, punchy, solid lows and pretty loud

[Crabby]

My LMIII seems louder then my Shuttle 6 was but I didn'[t have them at the same time to compare. I really like both amps for the unique flavors they have and would be hard pressed to conclusively say one sounds better then the other. The Shuttle 9 seems to be considered a much heavier hitter then the 6 for low end, headroom and overall volume.

[PCR]

When I was in search mode for a head to power my Berg HT112, I looked seriously at the LMIII and the S9. I ended up buying the S9.

Both amps sounded really sounded awesome. Both had the clarity that I was looking for.

But, as the volume start to go up (LMIII past 50%), the Shuttle 9 pulled away from the LMIII in a hurry.

Even though the LMIII sounded clean and clear, as the volume rose, the LMIII struggled to control the speaker. It didn't distort, but the attack and fade wasn't as crisp as the S9.

That's what did it for me. I wanted an amp that could keep that tight, super controlled tone as the volume level went up.

As far as volume, since I'm only pushing one HT112, both have more than enough power to melt the speaker. So it's hard to say which is louder. It does seem that they both have different volume knob curves (so 50% doesn't equate to 50% on the S9). So in my opinion, volume wise, I think they are both about the same. But, the Shuttle sounds better than the LMIII near the top of my HT112 volume range.

[Musicman20]

Thanks everyone. I figured the Genz volume taper was different, and that what you get in reality is more 'headroom' to play with for, as youve mentioned, a punchier sound at higher levels.

[B String]

Originally Posted by PCR

When I was in search mode for a head to power my Berg HT112, I looked seriously at the LMIII and the S9. I ended up buying the S9.

Both amps sounded really sounded awesome. Both had the clarity that I was looking for.

But, as the volume start to go up (LMIII past 50%), the Shuttle 9 pulled away from the LMIII in a hurry.

Even though the LMIII sounded clean and clear, as the volume rose, the LMIII struggled to control the speaker. It didn't distort, but the attack and fade wasn't as crisp as the S9.

That's what did it for me. I wanted an amp that could keep that tight, super controlled tone as the volume level went up.

As far as volume, since I'm only pushing one HT112, both have more than enough power to melt the speaker. So it's hard to say which is louder. It does seem that they both have different volume knob curves (so 50% doesn't equate to 50% on the S9). So in my opinion, volume wise, I think they are both about the same. But, the Shuttle sounds better than the LMIII near the top of my HT112 volume range.

One cool thing for me is that I can use the low boost on my 9.0 with my HT112. It's not something I would do with most boxes but it seems to give the HT112 a nice low end extension. The articulation of the 9.0 works well with the sweetness of the Bergantino horn. I find it harder to get as supportive electric bass sound with the LMII and the HT112.

[svtb15]

+1.. the S9 is a little monster.. I use it on small to big gigs.. It slays in an 810 cab too,,And it gets huge bottom if you want.. Takes a lickin and keeps a tickin..
If i cant make an amp fail NO ONE can. Not that i try.. Im just demanding of my gear.

Originally Posted by bugbass

Compared to the LMII, the 9.0 has more headroom. The lowend just feels much more solid, more "bass" Both are very good, I prefer the 9.0, punchy, solid lows and pretty loud

[Musicman20]

Thanks for the input